Building lumber



April 13, 1937. JOHANNES 2,077,065

BUILDING LUMBER F iled May 1, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 11-0; 7 FIG. 8

(I II FIG.3 EIGJ'O I'IG.11

AWORN E Y April 13, 1937. EHJOHANNES 2,077,065

BUILDING LUMBER Filed May 1, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN E TOI? ATTORNEYPatented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITED STATES BUILDING LUMBER,

Ernst H. Johannes, Milwaukee,.Wis., assignor to Amanda M. Davidson,trustee Application May 1, 1933, Serial No. 668,703

3 Claims.

The invention relates to building lumber for fabricating toy structures,and has for an object to provide building lumber which can be readilyassembled and interfitted by children to produce toy buildings, fencesand other structures.

Another object of the invention is to provide a building block or slabwhich is corrugated on one face to simulate logs and which is fiat onthe opposite face, the edges of the block having jointforming partsadapted to frictionally interfit with i the mating parts of otherbuilding elements.

The invention further consists in the several j features hereinafterdescribed andclaimed. In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is aperspective view of a toy log cabin and fenceconstructed withthe building lumber of the v invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a toy log block house 0 constructed with thebuilding lumber;

- Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the building elements; i

Fig. 4 is an end view of the building element v of Fig. 3; 5 Figs. 5 and6 are side views of modified forms of building elements; Figs. 7 and 8are side views of other modified forms ofbuilding elements;

Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are perspective views of fence posts;

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of the block house of Fig. 2, parts beingbroken away;

Fig. 13 is a top plan view of a platform'used in the blockhouse;

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a toy log mill constructed with thebuilding lumber;

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a toy log cabin having a lean-to;

Fig. 16 is a top plan view of a wall assembly formed by some of thebuilding elements, and

Fig. 17 is a side view of another form of build- T ing element.

In these drawings, 20 designates one form of building element, which isshown in detail in Figs.

3 and 4, and which consists of a rectangular plate-like block or slab,preferably of wood, having a flat inner face 2| and a corrugated outerface 22. The corrugated face carries a plurality of rounded parallelbeads 23 extending longitudinally of the block and simulating logs. Theopposite side edges of the block are formed with a tongue 24 and agroove 25 respectively, both extending longitudinally of the block. Theopposite end edges of the block are provided with a' tenon 26 and amortise 21, respectively, preferably arranged substantially midwaybetween the tongued and grooved edges. At one end of the block the tenonprojects beyond both of the corresponding ends of the tongued andgrooved edges, and the other end of the block has at its cornersprojecting tenon-like parts onto which the tongued and grooved edgesextend. Preferably, the effective length of the block is twice theeffective width of the block, excluding the tongue 24 and the tenon 26.A rectangular block 28 is similar to the block 20, but has only onehalfthe effective length of the latter block. The edges of the blocks 20 and28 are adapted to frictionally interfit with the mating edges of similarblocks, or of other'building elements hereinafter described. 7

A block 29 (Figs. 2 and 15) is similar to the block 20 but is providedwith a rectangular notch 30 in one side edge simulating a door or windowopening- A block 3| (Fig. 5) is similar to the a block' 20 but has anintermediate rectangular opening 32 to frictionally receive the tenon ofanother block. A block 33 (Fig. 6) is similar to the block 20 but isprovided with intermediate rectangular notches or mortises 3G inopposite edges to frictionally receive the forked mortised end ofanother block. The blocks 3| and 33 permit the use of other blocksforming partition walls, as indicated in Fig. 16. A block 35 is similarto theblock 28 but has a port hole 36 l and is suitable for use in theblock house shown in Fig. 2.

Several wall-forming blocks with diagonal edges are providedforsupporting roof panels. As seen in Fig. 1, a trapezoidal block 31 issurmounted by a small triangular block 38 to form a triangular wallsection. If desired, a window notch 39 may be formed in the block 31.The span of the block 3'! is here indicated to be one and one-half timesthe length of the block 20. The sloping edges of the blocks 3'! and 38are at an angle of 45 to the horizontal. A triangular block 40, used inthe mill building of Fig. 14, is similar to the triangular panel formedby the blocks 31 and 33 and has a span substantially equal to the lengthof the block 2E].

For supporting roof panels of less slope, as seen in Fig. 15, othertriangular blocks are employed. A block shown in detail in Fig. 17, isused in the building shown in Fig. 15, and may have a window opening'62. The span of the block 4| is substantially one and one-half timesthe length of the block 20, and the height of the block is substantiallyequal to the width of the block 20. Tongues 24' extend along the loweredge of the block M to be frictionally received in the grooves ofsubjacent blocks.

For supporting the lean-to roof of the cabin of Fig. 15, there are usedtriangular blocks 43 and 44 shown in detail in Figs. 7 and 8. Each ofthese blocks has substantially the same length and heigh as the block29. The blocks 13 and 94 are provided with a tenon 2S and a mortise 21',respectively, to interfit with other wall-forming blocks. The blocks 43and 44 are also capable of fitting together endwise to form a long spanwall section. The lower edges of the blocks 53 and 44 are formed withtongues 24".

The roof panels of the cabin of Fig. l are formed by fitting togetheredgewise a number of the blocks 29 and 28, the laterally adjacent blocksbeing staggered. The length of each slope of the roof is made up by oneblock 20 interfitting end- Wise with one block 28. In the mill of Fig.14, one end of the roof carries a rectangular frame made from four ofthe short blocks 28, the upper two of which interfit with the side edgesof the end blocks of the roof. Four of the blocks 29 interfit with sideedges of the frame blocks 28 to simulate a wind wheel. A chimney block55 has a V-notch 49 by which it can be saddled over the ridge of any oneof the cabin roofs.

The mortise and tenon joints between the ends of the blocks 29 orsimilar blocks are such that the interfitting blocks can be placed inalignment or in angular relation. The short blocks 28 can be used asswingable doors, as indicated in Figs. 1, 14, and 15. The width of themortise 21 of the block 29 or similar block is one-half the width of theblock, and the effective width of each of the tenon-like parts onopposite sides of the mortise is one-quarter the width of the block, orone-half the width of the mortise 21 or tenon 26. When two of the blocksare assembled edge-to-edge by the tongue-and-groove joints, the adjacenttenon-like parts of the two blocks combine to form a full-widthcomposite tenon, so as to permit symmetrical patterns to be producedboth in composite panels and at building corners. The full-widthcomposite tenon thus formed will frictionally fit in either thecorresponding composite mortise formed at the ends of a pair of similaredgewise-connected blocks, or in the mortise 21 of the block 29 orsimilar block.

Fence posts 41, 48, and 49 are provided to cooperate with the blocks,especially the short blocks 28, for the construction of a fence, as seenin Figs. 1 and 15. The post 41 is of square crosssection and has avertical groove 59 on one side and a vertical tongue on an adjacentside. The post 48 has vertical grooves 59 on adjacent sides and arectangular notch or mortise 52 on another side, the mortise having thesame width as the block tenon 26. The post 49 has vertical tongues 5! onadjacent sides and a tenon 53 on another side, the tenon having the sameWidth as the mortise 52. The blocks 28 are set vertically to simulate apicket fence and interfit with each other and with the fence posts 97,48, and 49, as seen in Figs. 1 and 15. Another block 28 is disposed as agate between the fence posts 48 and 49 and has its opposite endsinterfitting with the mortise 52 and tenon 53. The gate-forming blockmay be swung on one of these posts. The posts 48 and 49 may also beinterfitted with the blocks 28 or blocks 26 when these blocks form partof a building wall.

In the block house of Fig. 2, four of the short blocks 28 are assembledin a square wall frame to form a base section, and four of the similarblocks 35 form a similar wall frame interfitting with the upper edges ofthe blocks 28. The tongues of the blocks 35 are uppermost and fit incross grooves 54 formed in the bottom face of a square platform 55,which overhangs the frame of blocks 35. The upper face of the platformhas cross grooves 5'5 therein to receive the tongues of four of theblocks 29 assembled into a square wall frame. The frame of blocks 29 issurmounted by a pyramidal roof section 51. In the present instance onecorner of the roof section is cut away to admit a square wall frame ofthe blocks 35, the tongues of two of these blocks entering the groovesof two of the blocks 29. The uppermost wall frame of blocks 35 issurmounted by a pyramidal roof section 58 carrying a flag staff 59.

In assembling the various blocks into panels for the walls and roofs ofthe buildings, the blocks are preferably placed flatwise on a table orother support and fitted together, and the panels are then placed inupright position to be interfitted with companion panels. The relationof the tongues, grooves, tenons, and mortises on the blocks is such thatwhen any two of the rectangular blocks are interfitted end to end withthe corrugated faces thereof at the same side, the tongues thereof willbe at the same edge of the assembly, so as to insure the proper fittingof additional pieces to the several edges of the assembly. Because ofthe position of the mortises and tenons at the ends of the blocks 29 andsimilar blocks, it is possible to form building corners with superposedblocks, and also ridged roofs, without need for transversely notchingeither the tongued or grooved edges of the blocks.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A building to-y comprising a pair of rectangular plate-likewall-forming blocks, two opposite edges of each block having a tenon anda mortise respectively to interfit with the complementary edges of theother block, and two other opposite edges of each block havingtongue-andgroove parts, a side of at least one of said blocks beingapertured at an intermediate portion to interfit with one of the mortiseand tenon edges of the other block, said blocks when thusselectivelylinterfitted edge-to-edge or edge-to-slde having theirtongue-and-groove edges in flush relation.

2. A toy building element comprising a substantially rectangularplate-like block two opposite parallel edges of which are tongued andgrooved longitudinally of the block to frictionally interfit with themating edges of similar blocks, and two other opposite edges of whichrespectively have a tenon and a mortise to frictionally interfit withthe complementary mating mortised and tenoned edges of similar alignedand angularly extending blocks, said tenon at one end of the blockprojecting beyond the ends of the tongued and grooved edges, and theother end of the block having at its corners projecting tenon-like partsonto which said tongued and grooved edges extend, a pair of said blockswhen interfitted edge-to-edge by their tongued and grooved edges havingtheir adjacent tenon-like parts forming a composite tenon at one endadapted for engagement in a corresponding composite mortise formed at anend of a pair of similarly interfitte-d blocks.

3. A toy building element comprising a substantially rectangularplate-like block two opposite parallel edges of which are tongued andgrooved longitudinally of the block to frictionally interfit with themating edges of similar blocks, and two other opposite edges of whichrespectively have a tenon and a mortise to frictionally interfit withthe complementary mating mortised and tenoned edges of similar alignedand angularly extending blocks,- said tenon at one end of the blockprojecting beyond the ends of the tongued and grooved edges, and theother end of the block having at its corners projecting tenon-like partsonto which said tongued and grooved edges extend, a pair of said blockswhen interfitted edge-to-edge by their tongued and grooved edges havingtheir adjacent tenon-like to present a symmetrical appearance with the10 full-width tenons.

ERNST H. J OHANNES.

